At first glance, working conditions in Mexican factories, mining projects and even drought may seem like local issues. But not if we want a world based on justice, gender equality and a respect for human rights. Michael Switow reports from the 2012 People's Summit in La Paz, Mexico.

People and Planet must come before Profits, say demonstrators at the 2012 People's SummitTravel about three hours north of Los Cabos, the luxury Mexican seaside resort community where President Barack Obama and leaders from 19 other G20 countries are gathering, and you come to another coastal town -- La Paz, a state capital that's home to some 200,000 people.

I've taken the bus here to join the Cumbre de los Pueblos, a People's Summit of civil society and grassroots activists.

The terrain between the two towns is brown, dotted by large cacti and leafless brush. The bus driver tells me it shouldn't be this way, but the rains have barely come the past two years. In fact, Mexico is withering under its worst drought in more than 70 years. Continue Reading

This article was originally published under the title "People to Power: From the Cumbre de los Pueblos to the G20" in The Huffington Post.